merciful-evans Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I choose one from among 7 guitars when going out to gig. All 7 get used regularly. Occasionally people will come and speak after we've finished & are breaking down. Rarely does anyone come and speak to me about the guitars. The Les Paul seems to be an exception. People seem to notice it. I am frequently asked about it, not only by other players but also by regular punters. TBH, this isnt altogether welcome. I'm always open & friendly, but at this stage of the evening I really want to just concentrate on packing away the gear. There must be something about LPs. I suppose people like them?! I dont know why particularly. Is it iconic status? Is it because 'name' players use them? Anyone else get this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 As long as non-players and non-experts are concerned, I guess it is about some sort of iconic status in their personal memories. Regardless of model, the shape of a guitar played by an idol of their past or present may make people remember and trigger associations in their minds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Punter must be a made up UK term. [confused] I thought this was about American football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Punter must be a made up UK term. [confused] I thought this was about American football. After having read these definitions: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/punter I thought it was about 1.1 but tried to make sure with the introducung subclause in my reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Rarely does anyone come and speak to me about the guitars...the Les Paul seems to be an exception.Anyone else get this?... On the odd occasion when I would drag the R0 out to an open-mic night there would usually be one or two who either made comments or wanted to try it out for a min. or so. Perhaps it's because far more folk own a Strat (SG/Tele/whatever) themselves so those fine, but more often seen, instruments have less of a 'curiosity' appeal? IMX Gibson Les Pauls - in the UK at any rate - have always been less commonly seen 'up close' down the local pub than most of the other well-known models. Punter must be a made up UK term... I believe the slang usage comes from the Spanish language (by way of the French) and is derived from 'one who tries to score a point'. The 'punter' was a person who tried to score against either the bank (roulette), bookmaker (gee-gees) or similar and in time came to mean simply 'a client'. From what I've read it dates back to the late 17th / early 18th century. But I could, of course, be making all that up........ Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 ... IMX Gibson Les Pauls - in the UK at any rate - have always been less commonly seen 'up close' down the local pub than most of the other well-known models. ... Pip. On the other hand, notable and meanwhile legendary players from UK "imported" the Les Paul model craze to the USA in the mid-1960's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam M Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I choose one from among 7 guitars when going out to gig. All 7 get used regularly. Occasionally people will come and speak after we've finished & are breaking down. Rarely does anyone come and speak to me about the guitars. The Les Paul seems to be an exception. People seem to notice it. I am frequently asked about it, not only by other players but also by regular punters. TBH, this isnt altogether welcome. I'm always open & friendly, but at this stage of the evening I really want to just concentrate on packing away the gear. There must be something about LPs. I suppose people like them?! I dont know why particularly. Is it iconic status? Is it because 'name' players use them? Anyone else get this? My brother in law in Italy isn't into guitars at all but when I told him about my collection and the new las pauls studio I bought he said 'it's a real gibson?' 'my favourite is the goldtop' my wife asked him him how he knew about them he said come on everybody knows Gibson is the ferrari of guitars. Must be an image thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I'm so old... that when I started playing in bands (I'm from Central New England - USA) in early 70s, you only had a few choices. Gibson, Fender, Gretch more or less ruled the market for the "pro" line of guitars for electric players Yet most of us learned how to play on guitars that mom and dad bought at Sears Roebuck (which were all Japanese made) and usually beastly to play, they'd fall apart at an alarmingly fast rate. So we'd get paper routes, bag groceries, mow lawns, beg Dad... do what ever we could till eventually we'd bring home our first "REAL" guitar.. For me it was a 69/70 blonde telecaster. While most of the other kids were still trying to make a clean C chord on their $89 Tiesco... I was cutting head on a tele, for a time, I was a GOD... LOL! about 2 years later, I got my first strat (large headstock, bullet trus rod, micro tilt neck - Oh the humanity).. a few years down the road when I was able to get a better paying after school gig, it was a 74 les paul deluxe - which I like a fool, traded away in 79.. ah the one that got away... back then we knew nothing about the "Norlin Era.." or Fender's "Pre CBS" vs "CBS" years, back then, that meant nothing... So now what people over FLIP over is if you pull out a 69 P-Bass, or a 62 Strat, a 59 Tele... yea,, they'll fall over themselves to gawk at it and ask ya how much you paid and where ya got it. I was at a jam a few weeks ago.. there happened to be 2 bass players there, one had a gorgeous re-issue p-bass, it was tremendous.. the other had a beat to crap 69 p-bass. The re-issue sounded about 10,000x better than the 69. but by large, over here, in this area any ways,, no one seems to know or care what you are playing or how badly or masterfully you play it.. If people can even hear your band over the crowd noise, you're lucky.. If your looking for an acoustic solo gig, forget it... you're like an aquarium in the corner... people just take it all for granted out this way.. when it comes to what your playing, it's only the samll percent of musicians that take any note at all. and sometimes, they're so smug about things that you don't even want to talk to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 ... when it comes to what your playing, it's only the samll percent of musicians that take any note at all. and sometimes, they're so smug about things that you don't even want to talk to them. I guess this has always been the same everywhere. Some have serious interest, others try to conceal their ignorance through arrogance, and some are just there for territorial pi§§ings... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted October 7, 2016 Author Share Posted October 7, 2016 but by large, over here, in this area any ways,, no one seems to know or care what you are playing or how badly or masterfully you play it.. If people can even hear your band over the crowd noise, you're lucky.. If your looking for an acoustic solo gig, forget it... you're like an aquarium in the corner... people just take it all for granted out this way.. wow! That's surprising. We seem to rise above any crowd noise. Totton Rugby Club is by far the noisiest venue we do. The shouting hurts your ears when you enter (weird acoustics with a prism ceiling), but once we're playing we are certainly heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 I am rarely asked about guitars or gear after a gig (or while on break). The most common remarks I get from people in the audience are in the vein of: "Hey man, you guys sound real good. Do ya'll know any 'Skynyrd?" "Hey man, you guys sound real good. Is your (insert here, singer, drummer, bass player) single?" "Hey man, you guys sound real good. Will you play Bohemian Rhapsody for me and my girlfriend?" If there is any conversation about the guitars though, it is always the Les Paul copper top that gets them talking. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 I'm asked if I am Charlie Sheen. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted October 7, 2016 Author Share Posted October 7, 2016 I am rarely asked about guitars or gear after a gig (or while on break). The most common remarks I get from people in the audience are in the vein of: "Hey man, you guys sound real good. Do ya'll know any 'Skynyrd?" "Hey man, you guys sound real good. Is your (insert here, singer, drummer, bass player) single?" "Hey man, you guys sound real good. Will you play Bohemian Rhapsody for me and my girlfriend?" If there is any conversation about the guitars though, it is always the Les Paul copper top that gets them talking. :) Bohemian Rhapsody?! We played a wedding reception once at a private do out in the New Forrest. Everything smelled of money and everybody spoke 'monied-middle-class'. After a few songs we were approached by a po-faced numpty who told us we should play some Abba! Seriously. Us seven hairy-arsed guys should give them some ABBA! The singist diplomatically explained that we didnt know any Abba, while the rest of us were busy blowing beer out of our noses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 The singist diplomatically explained that we didnt know any Abba, while the rest of us were busy blowing beer out of our noses. Ha!!! too funny!!! we've been asked for a lot of crazy things, but that was never one of them!! LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 ...The singist... Oooh! I Like That a LOT!!!................ Bassist; Flautist; Saxophonist; Percussionist; Oboist; Timpanist; Pianist; SINGIST! Makes a lot of sensist! OTOH from now on I'm going to be a 'Guitarer'.................... Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Oooh! I Like That a LOT!!!................ Bassist; Flautist; Saxophonist; Percussionist; Oboist; Timpanist; Pianist; SINGIST! Makes a lot of sensist! OTOH from now on I'm going to be a 'Guitarer'.................... Pip. But...youse is already a plectrist..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.